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Q:
How do you find out what the source is for a particular
batch file or film in the IGI? -- Linda

A: One of the most important things to remember when working
with the International Genealogical Index is its reason for existing.
It is an index of temple ordinance work completed by LDS members on
behalf of deceased ancestors. LDS members believe that families are
eternal and that they are linked together even after death. However,
for that connection to take place, it must happen here on earth. As
a result, LDS members do temple ordinances by proxy on behalf of their
ancestors.

As you can imagine there is the possibility for duplication
in this effort as John who lives in Massachusetts works on his
Robert ADAMS and a couple of years later, James out in California
discovers he connects to that same Robert ADAMS. So off he goes
to do the same work.

The International Genealogical Index was created to help avoid
duplication in what the LDS feel is a most important work that
needs to be done here on earth. This index contains several
hundred million names of deceased individuals for whom LDS temple
work has been done. However, genealogists quickly discovered
that this index was a great tool to help in pin pointing the
birth or marriage place for some of their ancestors as well.

The
International Genealogical Index(r) includes the
names of several hundred million deceased individuals
worldwide.

What Does an IGI Entry
Contain?

Entries in the IGI are not grouped together in family units or in
lineage's such as a pedigree. Each person is a separate entry and
will have the following information:

Name of the individual

Name of the parents or spouse

Event type (e.g. birth, marriage, census, will)

Event date

Event place

Source batch number

Source information (CD version only - in Full Record view only)

Is That All There Is?

While the CD-ROM version of the IGI offers you a great deal of information
about the entry, there are still reasons to return to the original
record in most cases. However, if you are using the online version
of the IGI, you do not have access to the source information. How
do you know what you have and where the information is from?

Decoding the Batch Number

The best way to understand where the record is from, is to learn
what the various batch numbers stand for. Back in the old days, before
computers in the Family History Centers, we relied on a microfiche
version of the IGI. Once you had the entry you were interested in,
you then had to convert the batch number to an input source number
(which was usually the microfilm or microfiche number where the original
source could be found). This fiche is the IGI Batch Number Index
and it is still available at your local Family History Center even
today. It is a valuable tool when trying to understand the origins
of any entries in the IGI.

Below is a table that details the beginning character or characters
to a batch number and an accompanying description for batch numbers
beginning with those letters or numbers.

A

LDS temple sealing, only available in Special
Collections. Original record open only to certain LDS members

C

Birth and christenings from LDS extraction work
- records usually on microfilm

D

Patron notification, should have another Batch
number listed, which is the one you would actually concentrate
on

E

Marriages from LDS extraction work - records
may be available on microfilm

F

Family group records that are available on microfilm

H

LDS church membership records of deceased individuals

J, K

Birth and christenings from LDS extraction work
- records may be on microfilm

L

LDS temple originated record

M

Marriages from LDS extraction work - records
usually on microfilm (with the exception of M17 and M18)

M17, M18

Early LDS temple sealing records

P

Births and christenings from LDS extraction
work - records may be on microfilm

T

Information comes from family group records,
work done by the special groups, such as work on Royalty, and
information from the Temple Records Index Bureau (TIB)

0000001 to 0000023

Patron submissions to temples outside the United
States

500

Similar to F above, family group records

60 to 68999999

Patron submission that were automated through
PAF

694

Early LDS ward and branch records available
on microfilm

6940405 to 69449426

Card index to early LDS ward and branch records

69407

Early LDS ward and branch records from Scandinavia

69409

Family group records

696

Records not open to the public

725

Marriages from England indexed by J.S.W. Gibson

744

Several extraction projects

745, 754

Extraction from statewide vital records indexes

766

Patron submissions on Marriage Entry form or
entries from extraction (requires the 766 Batch Cross Index
to get the actual batch number)

8-4 to 8-9

Patron submissions

Once you have the film number, you can then use the FHLC on CD to
search for the actual record by using the Film/Fiche number search
option. You cannot type in the batch number and get the film number.
At the present time, that is not an available option.